FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Franklin Pierce Edges Adelphi for Top Spot.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – In acknowledgement of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intercollegiate athletics, the Northeast-10 Conference will not recognize an overall 2020-21 Presidents' Cup champion. The Conference will instead honor a Presidents' Cup seasonal champion – an award earned by Franklin Pierce for the collective accomplishments of its sport programs in the 2021 spring season.
The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the NE10. After the cancellation of the fall and winter seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, the Conference followed similar protocol that it instituted for 2019-20 – honoring a seasonal champion in each completed season, which this year included spring exclusively.
"Congratulations to all of the student-athletes, coaches and administrators at Franklin Pierce," said NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "This past calendar year has been unlike any other in our history, but it was important to our Conference leadership that we were able to acknowledge, despite the cancelled fall and winter seasons, the significant time and effort that went into the spring season across our campuses. We were able to complete 10 NE10 sports in 2020-21 and this revised Presidents' Cup award provides us the opportunity to honor the dedication and commitment of the Franklin Pierce athletic department."
It is the first Presidents' Cup honor for Franklin Pierce in the history of its athletic department. The Presidents' Cup is awarded to the institution that compiles the most cumulative points based upon overall regular season finishes in the team sports and final placement in the annual NE10 Championships in individual sports.
Franklin Pierce had a league-best 85.5 points during the spring season – 78-percent of its possible point total (110) – to edge out Adelphi (80.0) and Le Moyne (77.5) for the top spot and Presidents' Cup honors. The Ravens earned the maximum amount of points in women's golf (6) and women's tennis (11) after winning league titles, while second-place finishes in baseball and softball netted 12 points each.
Adelphi led all teams by earning 79-percent of its possible point total (101) for the spring. New Haven (71-percent) and Le Moyne (70-percent) joined Adelphi and Franklin Pierce by hitting the 70-percent threshold. On the overall leaderboard, SNHU and Bentley round-out the top five with 62.5 and 59.0 points, respectively.
ABOUT THE NE10
In its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
